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Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

I'm behind, I think -- got two more telescoping covers put together tonight, that leaves one more full sized one and two bases and I've got all my boxes made for the planned expansion, although none extra. Probably need an extra deep or two and some solid baseboards and extra tops and inner covers, we had some swarms last year that would not fit in a nuc box.

I think I have enough frames for the time being since I don't plan to use my medium nuc boxes until summer splits (for overwintering), but too many are standard size and I want narrows, so I guess this weekend or next week I'll start on more frames.

Once I get my splits done, I'll have to start thinking about more boxes -- I've only got six shallows for two hives right now, and if this year is like last as far as honey goes, that probably won't be enough as one hive made two mediums of honey from a swarm -- that's more than I have boxes for for that hive right now. On top of that, I'll need at least nine more for my three new hives (two splits and hopefully a nice swarm), so I'll be busy later in the summer again. If I want four shallows for each hive, I'll need to make a dozen, plus whatever my brother needs next year since he wants more hives too.

Good thing I can get cheap scrap lumber, eh? 49 cents a board makes for pretty cheap boxes, and I can make a big pile of frames from an 8' 2x10 if I dig around in the pile a bit and get a knot free straight one.

Somehow I thought I'd be keeping bees instead of working out in the woodshop every night, but that's OK to -- plenty of projects to keep this old man off the streets.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

Yeah, but when it warms up again in a week or so, everything is going to burst into bloom and I need to be ready to do splits and catch other people's swarms -- I'm hoping a cut-down split on our hives will keep them home and making honey.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

Two weeks ago the canadian geese were heading north, last week the grakel's and red winged black birds were heading north. Yesterday they all came back through heading south.
Not sure what they are trying to tell us, but I usually have gone through the hives by now so that I can go pick up the equipment I need, this weather is slowing down the economy

mike syracuse ny
I went to bed mean, and woke up meaner. Marshal Dillon

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

I have my equipment ready, now I just need the weather to cooperate! We are running over 20 degrees below average today, and that has been the trend lately. The pollen counts are high, but it's too cold for bees to get out and work anything.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

Just putting the final touches on 6 swarm traps. 350 new boxes already assembled and painted. 2400 frames, assembled and foundation installed. 10 new 4 way pallets made. 72 new migratory lids made and painted. 100 second deep brood boxes are all set up with comb, new foundation, and feeders. 300 new deep and medium supers ready to go on the hives, just before the flow. Yeah, I guess I'm about ready. All I need is the bees to come back from Texas. Snow here last 2 days and again this weekend.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

Swarm season is already started here, most of our fruit trees are already blooming or finished.
Traps are seeing a lot of activity today, 20-30 bees checking them out. We have 7 around the neighborhood.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

I was ready last fall I get ready in the fall after the summer flows leave the fall flow for the bees to winter on and build equipment in the cooler days of fall. Then it is wait and bring the spring on.

Re: Anyone else scrambling to get equipment ready for swarm season?

I have been building equipment to sell and rather than cut out lower grade sections of lumber, I have been using it and setting aside the equipment it ends up in for my own use. So I have most of what I need. A few inner and outer covers and I think I will be all set.